


What a Night

by widowshulk



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Kidnapping, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Friendship, Post-Civil War (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:11:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6883009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widowshulk/pseuds/widowshulk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the middle of the night, and Natasha jolts awake after hearing a gunshot and Bruce is nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>She sees him being escorted into a helicopter, but she's too late to do anything about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What a Night

_Crack!_

 

Natasha’s body jolts up and, like a reflex, her fingers grip around the handle of the gun she keeps under the bed. She clicks the safety off and points it towards the door anticipating an intruder. She’s alert and awake in mere seconds; hearing a gunshot in the middle of the night will do that to a spy.  Nothing is different in the bedroom, there’s no immediate and identifiable danger to her, so she relaxes her grip a little before it hits her…

 

“Bruce,” she whispers.

 

He has a tendency to get up and wander around in the middle of the night, so there’s every chance that he’s in his lab working on something ridiculous and that’s what woke her up. Maybe her sleeping brain had misinterpreted the sound. She knows that’s not right, she knows when something is wrong, but she clings to the idea out of nothing more than blind hope and there’s nothing more dangerous than hope.

 

Then she hears the back door slam shut and her heart races; her fingers twitch on the gun still in her hand. There’s no way Bruce is going outside in the middle of night in the dead of winter, he’s not that stupid. She rushes to the window, squinting to see what’s going on out there. It’s too dark to see anything clearly, but there are three people – men, she guesses, from their build – running from the house clinging to a fourth, limping person. Bruce. She can recognise him anywhere. They’re too close to him, so if she shoots at them, she might risk hurting him and that’s not a risk she’s willing to take. So, she runs.

 

“Shit,” she spits as she sprints through the house to get outside. By the time she gets there, a chopper is in the air, so all she can do is stare at it and try to spot something that’ll tell her who’s done this to Bruce.

 

There’s nothing on the chopper, no letters or numbers, to help her identify whomever is doing this and it’s too high in the sky for her to see any faces. She’s helpless and that’s not something she handles well. She’s dealt in information her whole life, and now the person she cares most about in the world is in peril and she has no information whatsoever.

 

Her hands to start to shake and her breathing grows ragged. This is panic and terror and emotions that she isn’t capable of processing, not right now. She starts thinking of all the horrors that could happen to him, all the things that someone could inflict upon him, and she feels her body start to crumble in on itself. She’s tortured people before, she knows all sorts of ways they could be hurting him.

 

_No_. She snaps herself out of it. Breaking down now is not an option. Not if she wants Bruce back. She pushes it all to one side, knowing there’ll be a time when her emotions will help her fight, but for now she needs rational and logical thinking. She needs to be the Black Widow.

 

As she heads back into the house, she weighs up her options and everything points to her needing backup. Her first thought, like always, is to phone Clint, but he’s in Disneyland with Laura and the kids, so he’s not a viable option. Then there’s Steve, but things after still tense between them after the Accords and she knows he’s distracted with the Bucky situation. She sighs and scrolls down before deciding on her next choice.

 

“This better be good,” comes a cranky half-asleep voice seconds after she dials.

 

“Bruce has been taken,” she says through gritted teeth. Saying the words out loud makes it all real, it’s no longer a bad dream or one of Wanda’s hallucinations.

 

“On my way.” The call ends.

 

Natasha puts all the lights on in the house, scouring every room, desperately searching for something to point her in the direction of her new target. As she makes her way through the kitchen, she silently curses herself for not installing the alarm system yet. They’ve been building this house from scratch over the last few months, and an alarm isn’t really a priority. They live way out in the countryside and the only people who know their location are people they trust, so they agreed the alarm could wait.

 

She hears a thud in the garden and she rushes out gun first, almost hoping it’s the kidnappers so she can put some bullets in some kneecaps.

 

“Relax, Romanoff,” Tony says, stepping out of his Iron Man suit, hands raised in mock surrender.

 

She lowers her gun and mutters, “Sorry.”

 

“What happened?” he asks gently, knowing she could use a delicate touch.

 

He follows her through the house as she relays the events of the last 10 minutes and he realises that he’s not talking to Natasha, to the woman who loves Bruce; he’s talking to the Black Widow who’s been personally targeted and is seeking vengeance. It’s a little terrifying, but he knows that she’s the one you want fighting in your corner when disaster strikes.

 

“So what’s the plan?” Tony asks as Natasha finishes explaining.

 

“This isn’t some dumb bachelor party prank, is it?” she asks, once again clinging to hope.

 

“Not one that I know about. That’s next week,” Tony teases, trying to ease some of the tension.

 

She cocks her head and his smile fades.

 

“Ross? He’s always had it out for Bruce and the Accords…” Natasha trails off.

 

“We got Bruce cleared, Ross can’t bring him in… it’s a violation of the Accords. It’d ruin all our work. He wouldn’t,” Tony reasons.

 

“Then who?”

 

“We’ve all made our fair share of enemies.”

 

Natasha looks away, ashamed and unsure of herself. She starts to wonder if maybe she was the cause of this… if maybe someone was taking Bruce to get to her. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s put someone she cares about in danger.

 

“Don’t blame yourself, it won’t help him. We’ll find him, we just need a plan.”

 

She pauses for a second, thinking through their options.

 

“We track the airspace. How many choppers can there be flying around at 3 in the morning? We find where it landed and pay them a visit,” she offers.

 

“Friday, you catch that?” he asks.

 

“Yes, sir,” comes the echo from Tony’s earpiece.

 

“They must want something,” Natasha thinks aloud while pacing through the living room. “You don’t take someone like Bruce, with what he can do, unless you want something. But what?”

 

Her train of thought is cut short when Friday’s voice comes, “Location on the helicopter. Sending the coordinates to your suit, sir.”

 

“Better suit up,” Natasha says already heading out of the room.

 

“Wait, how are you gonna get there?” Tony calls after her.

 

“Let me worry about that,” she calls back, the hint of a laugh in her voice.

 

“Did you develop the ability to fly overnight? Not that I’d be surprised,” Tony says as Natasha makes her way out to meet him minutes later.

 

She’s in full tactical gear, and not for the first time Tony wonders just _how many_ weapons she has hidden in that suit. He, meanwhile, is all suited up and ready to fly.

 

“Not quite. Follow me,” she says, leading him away from the house and into the seemingly endless land that surrounds it.

 

“We’ve got some toys of our own,” Natasha says, clicking a button on her belt. “The thing about having all this land is that it’s a great place for underground storage.”

 

Tony watches in bewilderment as the ground opens up before them and a quinjet rises up.

 

“You stole one of my jets?” he demands, more in awe than anger.

 

“Borrowed. Indefinitely,” she replies with a smirk.

 

“I’m driving,” Tony says, stepping into the jet.

 

“Not a chance,” Natasha replies, slapping him gently on the shoulder.

 

“Going in alone, is that a good idea?” Tony asks when she’s got them in the air.

 

“No one else needs to be dragged into this. Bruce wouldn’t want a fuss.”

 

“But we don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

 

“What _they_ are dealing with is a pissed off former assassin with an axe to grind. You’re really worried about us?”

 

Tony ponders that for a moment. “You’re a lot calmer now than when you called. What changed?”

 

“You want a heart-to-heart? Now?” she asks, raising her eyebrow at him.

 

“Just curious.”

 

“I panicked when he was taken. I know he can look after himself, but I had nothing to go on. No information. Now I have information. And backup,” she says, nodding to Tony.

 

“Huh,” Tony replies, finally starting to understand Natasha a little more. He’s known her for years, but he’s still so clueless about so much of her, so he appreciates these little moments when he gets to learn about her.

 

“You’re not exactly raising Hell and Earth to find him,” Tony points out.

 

“You don’t think I want to?” she asks, her voice coarse. “If it were Clint or Steve or even you, I’d have called everyone in. I’d have called in every favour. I’d show no mercy.”

 

“But you can’t for Bruce?”

 

“He’d never forgive me. That’s not what he wants and I have to honour him. You… you’re the closest thing he has to a brother, so you being here… that’s okay, but I can’t Widow this. It needs the Banner touch.”

 

Tony smiles to himself.

 

“What?” Natasha asks suspiciously.

 

“I never understood it. You and him. He’s… he wears his heart on his sleeve. You… you bury your heart 10 feet underground, surrounded by barbed wire. You really do love him, don’t you?”

 

Natasha shoots him a look that stops him dead in his tracks.

 

“Too much?” he asks.

 

“It’s hard for us. There’s so much darkness in our pasts, being normal and happy… it’s been unimaginable for so long.” Natasha looks away, knowing she’s giving too much of herself away, but needing to get it out of her system because there’s a very real chance that Bruce is hurt or worse and those emotions, those feelings, aren’t just going away.

 

“For what it’s worth, I’m happy you found each other.”

 

“Thanks,” Natasha replies with a small smile, not wanting to Tony to see how much it really means to her to hear him say that.

 

“So, any idea what these coordinates are?” he asks her, breaking the awkwardness.

 

“Looks like a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. No civilian casualties to worry about.”

 

“Nice change of pace.”

 

“Touchdown in 60 seconds,” Natasha says, preparing for landing. “You ready for this?”

 

He nods slightly and she thinks he’s going to say something – probably something snarky – but he stops himself. He actually looks worried, like maybe he thinks the two of them aren’t enough to save Bruce from whatever’s waiting for them in there.

 

Natasha doesn’t have time for doubt, it just gets in the way. She and Tony are the best qualified people to deal with this situation and they _will_ get Bruce out alive. Or so she keeps telling herself.

 

They land a little way away from the farmhouse to give them the element of surprise. The building itself is all lit up, but there’s no obvious way in.

 

As they exit the jet, Tony whispers, “Not many of them in there. I’m counting four. One incapacitated.”

 

“Sounds right. How do we get in?”

 

“Two doors. One on the south side, one on the north; that one’s heavily barricaded, I’ll take it.”

 

“Copy that,” Natasha says, charging off towards the farmhouse and Tony follows suit.

 

When Natasha reaches the door, she stops, waiting to hear Tony break down the other door before she charges in, but it never comes. Something must have happened. She grips her gun until her knuckles are white and it physically hurts her hand.

 

She takes a deep breath as she forces the door open.

 

She’s not even in the building before she completely stops in her tracks. There are flowers and candles everywhere and chairs lined up with their backs to her. Sitting in those chairs, gawping at her, are her comrades, her teammates, her friends; most of the people she holds dearest in the world. Then, at the other end of the farmhouse, stands Bruce in a tuxedo, grinning bashfully at her with Tony at his side wearing a smirk.

 

“What the fuck is this?” she demands of no one in particular, but everyone laughs.

 

“We’re throwing you a wedding.” Fury appears at her side, followed by Maria, Pepper, and Sharon. Fury looks the same as ever, but it looks like he’s got a new eyepatch, clearly he made an effort for the occasion. The ladies, however, look absolutely breath-taking all wearing flattering dresses in the same shade of purple.

 

“I can see that. Why?”

 

“You’re terrible at wedding planning, Nat. Just terrible,” Sharon whispers.

 

“She’s right.” Maria nods.

 

“Come on, let’s get you in a dress,” Pepper says, gently taking Natasha’s arm and lowering the gun.

 

Still trying to process what is happening, Natasha follows the ladies to a small room and minutes later, she’s wearing a stunning wedding dress. It’s white and strapless with a vivid red back and train and she’s never felt more ridiculous or more magnificent in her life. She’s lost count of the number of times she’s been dress shopping and she’s never managed to find anything that came even close to this. Logically, she knows it’s silly to get this excited about a dress, but she can’t help it. She finally feels like a bride. Like a regular woman about to pledge her love to a regular man in front of their loved ones.

 

“You fake kidnapped Bruce? In the middle of the night?” she accuses Pepper.

 

“Why are you looking at me?” Pepper asks, feigning innocence, but failing.

 

“I know your handiwork, Potts,” she says, gesturing around her.

 

“Fine. We knew you’d never let us throw you a wedding and if we tried to get you to somewhere nice, you’d never have gone for it. So, fake kidnap. It worked, didn’t it?”

 

“It did. Nice job.”

 

“Now let’s get you married.”

 

The ceremony is simple, but beautiful. Nick walks Natasha down the aisle and she’s sure she saw him swipe away a tear from his good eye, but of course he’ll deny it if she ever brings it up. Tony stands proudly beside his best friend, Bruce’s best man. Steve officiates the ceremony with a smile on his face for the duration. Bruce and Natasha exchange their own vows, the words are improvised, but they speak from the heart and the onlookers are moved nonetheless.

 

When it’s over, music starts to play and other people start to bring in tables, arranging them in a big square in the centre of the farmhouse. Then, more people bring in food and all at once they’re sat eating and laughing and revelling.

 

A couple of hours later, Natasha and Bruce finally get a moment alone together. They stand outside one of the doors, taking in the landscape.

 

“You knew about this?” she demands.

 

“I found out this morning. They thought I’d break if they told me sooner,” Bruce says sheepishly. “They weren’t wrong.”

 

“Our friends are idiots,” she says with a grin.

 

“Our friends pulled this off without us knowing… I think we’re the idiots.”

 

“Oh, shut up, _husband_ ,” she teases.

 

“Make me, _wife_ ,” he replies.

 

She grins and runs a hand through his hair before pulling him into her. She leans her forehead on his, touching her nose on his. Her other hand runs down his chest, resting on his sternum as she gently touches her lips to his. She kisses him softly, comfortably as he presses his hands into the small of her back, pulling their bodies together.

 

He nibbles her lip and she moans ever so faintly, but it’s enough to urge him on. He kisses her back hard. She responds at once, kissing him fast. She starts unbuttoning the middle of his shirt, running her fingertips through his chest hair.

 

There’s a cough and they step apart, on the brink of laughter.

 

“I’m taking off, wanted to say goodbye,” Nick says, frowning at Bruce who’s trying to get his buttons done back up as quickly as possible.

 

Natasha awkwardly hugs him – normally it’s not something they do, but the occasion seems to call for it, she decides.

 

“Thank you for coming and, you know…” she says, pulling back from him.

 

He nods at her, then turns back to Bruce.

 

“You do anything to hurt this woman, I will hunt you and kill you. Painfully. Understood?”

 

Bruce’s eyes bulge and he nods furiously.

 

“Yes, sir,” Bruce stutters.

 

“Good,” Nick says before turning and leaving.

 

“Well, that was awkward,” Bruce says, running his hands through his hair.

 

They laugh and lean into one another, their hands gently touch and then their fingers intertwine.

 

“What a night,” Bruce whispers as Natasha leans her head on his shoulder.

 

There they stand wordless as they watch the sun rise on the first day of the rest of their lives together.


End file.
